Almond Candy Crush
by Ms Western Ink
Summary: ...he could still taste that almond sweetness in his mouth. AU, repost. AxM SL challenge


**Almond Candy Crush**

**Part 1 of 1 **

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_Challenge: Muahahah! Ok kiddies! I'm CHALLENGING YOU! Write a one shot in which Aoshi is watching Misao eat pocky. It can any flavor and size. It can be any rating too, so you CAN make it lemony. :snorts: like i'd object anyway? I've made a folder in the Files Section for the challenge fics so post them in there! ehehehe._

Note: I think I read Aoshi teaching in another class. I'm pretty sure it was Biology or something though. Anyway, I can't help thinking I'm borrowing someone else's "Aoshi teaches English" idea here.

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He looked up from his book, quickly scribbling something on the board. His writing, according to his students, was just short of illegible. He just considered it to be part of the challenge of taking his English course.

He turned back toward the class once more. First period English was the worst.

Not because of the students or the subject, but because of one student.

One student four rows back on the far right side near the window.

One student who's glimmering blue eyes were either always directed down at her book or closed as she napped during his class.

His eyes immediately darted toward her.

She was, surprisingly, awake. Her eyes were directed down at her book. He wouldn't be surprised to learn that she had something else tucked into the book and was reading that instead.

In one ear he could see the gray cord of a radio or tape player or something, the other ear free.

At least she was making some effort to pay attention.

Out of the corner of her mouth was a pocky stick.

How many times had he told her, _no eating in class_?

He, for the moment, let it go.

"Read your text aloud, Aki, starting paragraph 4 page 40."

The student in question stood without him ever glancing at her and began to read aloud.

The others followed along in the book. His eyes remained on her, a frown on his lips.

Makimachi Misao was anything but a good student. She was frequently late, always turned in her assignments at the end of class, was never prepared to answer questions and was not in the least embarrassed about any of it.

She'd made it no secret she hated this class, hated coming to it, and hated everything about it.

Except him.

She had stopped short of proclaiming she hated him in one of her diatrabes just two weeks past.

He watched as she nibbled on the sweet treat, oblivious of her surroundings. As she sat the book down he was able to clearly see there was nothing in her book.

She appeared to be actually reading her text.

"Enough."

The girl promptly stopped and sat back down.

"Makimachi, why are you eating in my class?"

She didn't even look up. "Missed breakfast, slept late, dog ate my homework."

The class snickered. He frowned watching her pouty red lips suck on the treat. Damn girl.

In his six or seven years teaching he'd never had this problem before. He'd never been attracted to a student before.

Sixteen year old girls had, in his experience, been immature, semi-vicious creatures with shallow aspirations.

Misao, in that regard, wasn't much different.

He glanced at the clock. Time was up. He could see the next instructor waiting outside the door to take over the class.

"Read your textbooks pages 40-55. Be prepared to be quizzed on your material. Makimachi, come with me."

She kicked back her chair and stood, grabbing her package of sweets and toting herself to the door. She swept by his desk without looking at him and out the door past her second period teacher.

"Causing more trouble, Makimachi?"

She gave a non-committal grunt and he shook his head knowingly.

Aoshi stepped out. "I will return Makimachi shortly."

The fellow teacher nodded, only too glad to be rid of her as he stepped into the classroom.

Aoshi tucked his free book under his arm, holding his briefcase in the other.

"Come with me."

"Are you allowed to take me away from the classroom?" She aske suspiciously, following him anyway.

He didn't respond.

Halfway down the hall, he spoke up.

"Your attitude is disruptive."

She snorted.

"I am not interested in your petty affairs or your stagnating teenage social life. I will not tolerate your behavior."

He would concede everyone had their problems, and Misao would be no different, but he couldn't have her bringing them and her attitude to his class.

She was already failing.

"Whatever."

He took out his key and unlocked the downstairs lounge. With some of the older students making trouble, they'd taken to locking the doors. Especially all unused rooms.

It was, as he expected, empty.

He held the door open and she pushed past him inside, but whirled around almost directly.

"What do you want?"

He pushed her in further and pulled the door closed. It locked automatically.

"Sit," he snapped.

She did as he directed, sitting on the couch in the room, her pocky still hanging out of her mouth.

She crossed her arms.

"You realize you're failing my class?"

She shrugged. "Don't care, never use it."

He narrowed his eyes. "Something bothering you, Misao?"

She turned toward him, almost shooting to her feet.

"I hate coming here. I hate being your student! I hate having to come in here every day pretending I don't know you, and that you don't know me!"

He knew it was hard on her, but this reaction was uncalled for. She couldn't decide to be a delinquent because she didn't like the arrangements. He was her teacher, he was also a boarder in her house.

He'd lived at the Aoiya, an inn and restaurant for years. He'd known Misao since she was a little girl.

Everyone and their brother who'd ever visited the Aoiya knew Misao had a crush on him. It was something she'd never hidden from him, but something he'd never acknowledged.

He'd become an English teacher out of opportunity, instead of true interest. It was mere luck he'd ended up as her teacher. Outside of school he taught her kenpo and trained with her at the dojo at the back of the Aoiya.

"Sit."

She huffed, crossed her arms and plopped back down on the sofa. He heard the crunch as she bit through the sweet in her mouth.

He reached forward, snagging the milky white pocky from her lips.

"Hey!" He tossed it into the trash. "That was my favorite kind! I paid extra for that! So sweet and the little almonds and... oooh!"

He leaned down, one hand against the back of the sofa, the other against the arm, trapping her back against the old beige couch.

He narrowed his eyes upon her. Why was it she seemed incapable of holding a conversation, seriously, about her work in his class? Why was he unable to get her attention?

"Is that what's important to you?"

Her frown deepened. She sat forward, looping her arms around his neck.

Oh, damn. What had he gotten himself into now?

"There's only one thing that's really important to me, Aoshi-sama."

She leaned close, her nose brushing against his. She tilted her head pressing a chaste kiss to the end of his nose and then dropped herself back to the couch.

"Although the pocky is really up there!" She proclaimed and then gasped, as she began madly patting down the couch. "Where's my pocky! Oh, no! Stolen! That was my last pack!"

He stood up straight.

Suddenly, she went deathly still and turned a resolute, irritated gaze up at him.

"Aoshi-sama, did you take my pocky?"

He looked toward the window.

"Aoshi-sama?" She chirped, sounding entirely too sweet.

He turned away from her completely, walking toward the windows to stare out. In his hand was the package of Almond Crush vanilla pocky.

From behind, two small arms wrapped around his narrow waist.

She leaned close and he tensed as he felt her press a kiss to the center of his back through his white shirt.

He turned, tucking the pocky on the top sill of the window, well over Misao's head.

She looked up, gaping. "No fair! You've taken hostages!"

He just stared. He was going to get her attention, one way or another.

"Aoshi-sama, anyone ever reported you for inappropriate conduct in a teacher's lounge?"

"No."

"Want to find out what happens when someone does?" She asked, tilting her head to the side trying on a cocky smile.

He stepped forward. "Very well. Let's make sure it's inappropriate."

He snagged her wrist, catching her off guard and turned her toward the wal by the window. The sheer white curtains fluttered gently in the breeze, brushing against their clothes as he drew her wrists up above her head.

Almost as though she were reaching for her beloved Pocky.

Her eyes widened as he leaned toward her. A delicate flush tinted her cheeks as he pressed his lips against hers.

She gasped eyes wide. He gathered both of her wrists in one hand and curled the other beneath her chin, tilting her head up toward him, slanting his mouth deeply against hers.

She sighed, a breathless moan against his lips.

Her lips parted at the thrust of his tongue and she abruptly yanked back. "Ymph!"

He heard a faint crunch, watching her with barely concealed amusement.

"You ate my Pocky!" She declared, swallowing what he'd pushed onto her tongue.

"Don't like it that way?"

"Hey, I never said that," she was quick to point out.

"You're failing my class," he reminded her, watching as she wilted back against the wall, sighing.

"Blah, blah, let's get back to _inappropriate_."

"Is that what you want?" He leaned close, his voice a caress against her ear. "To be pressed into the couch there... your legs around me...your hips arched up to-"

She pushed him away abruptly. "On second thought, I really have to get back to class. Learning and all, really Aoshi-sama to keep a girl from expanding her mind!"

His lips quirked up as she moved toward the door.

"Misao."

She stopped, glancing back. He reached up and snagged the candy from the sill, tossing it toward her.

"Come see me after school. We need to talk about your grades."

She scowled, but nodded.

"Misao," he stopped her once more. She turned toward him with a a huff, expecting more reprimanding.

"Yes, Aoshi-sama?"

"No eating in my class."

She smiled. "No chance, Aoshi-sama. The only thing saving you from inappropriate fun, although we both know you wouldn't actually go through with it. You're such a stick-in-the-mud. The only thing saving you from being proven a tease is the fact I think the teacher's lounge is icky. Now, when we get home, look out."

She pushed open the door and headed out, leaving him alone.

Damn girl, he could still taste that almond sweetness in his mouth.


End file.
